Page 13 of The Gift of the Maltipoo
“Good. Because I like to win too.” He kissed Anthony as Daisy yipped. He pulled away and peered from the kitchen through the dining room to where Mom sat. Daisy was on her lap, licking her face, and Mom was laughing. He couldn’t help turning away. “Dammit,” he said as he wiped his eyes.
“Is something wrong?”
“No.” He swallowed hard. “It’s just been a long time since I saw her smile like that.” His mother was on the mend, and some of her vibrancy seemed to be starting to show again. That was wonderful to see, and something he had almost begun to think was gone forever.
“You are such a sweet grandpuppy,” Mom said, getting her to calm down and settle back on the sofa. Then she reached forthe remote and turned on the television. But instead of a show, there was music—Christmas music.
“It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.” He almost gasped as a thought sprang into his head. “What plans do you have for this year?”
“Nothing. I usually either visit my parents or use it as a day to sleep. This year my parents are taking a cruise through the Panama Canal. They asked me if it was okay months ago, and I told them to go. I sort of wish….” He shook his head. “I’m not going to say that I should have told them not to go, but I guess I wish things had been different.”
“Then you can spend the day with us. You’ll have to endure my cooking, because Mom isn’t going to be up to her usual culinary masterpieces, so the turkey will probably be a little dry and the beans may be a little crunchy….”
Anthony held him tighter as Daisy slid down off the sofa and bounded into the kitchen, doing this little dance around their legs. Obviously someone was getting attention and it wasn’t her, and that wasn’t going to do. “You need to be careful of your leg, sweetheart,” Tyler chided as he picked her up.
Daisy kissed both of them and then settled into his arms like she belonged there. “I think she’s happy.”
“Of course she is,” Mom said from the living room. “Now unless you came over here to hide in the kitchen and talk to each other, come in here so we can have a visit. My nap is over.” She sat up, and Tyler snickered.
“I guess we got told,” Anthony said and headed for the living room, but then stopped. “If I’m going to join you for Christmas, I need to pick up a few gifts. Maybe you can give me a few ideas?”
Tyler grinned, and Daily kissed his chin. “I know, sweetheart,” Tyler said softly, and then he lifted his gaze to look into Anthony’s eyes. “I already got the best gift.”
“What? Daisy?” Anthony asked, his eyes shining.
“No. Both of you,” he told him and brought their lips together in a kiss as Daisy yipped, because, after all, she was the princess.
Epilogue
TYLER WOKEwarm and toasty. It had snowed during the night, judging by the white outside on the windowsill. He rolled over, and Anthony pulled him closer. “Do we have to get up?”
“It’s Christmas,” Tyler said, and Daisy jumped up onto the bed. Thankfully she had taken to sleeping in her own bed, but joined them in the morning as soon as she heard them talking.
“When do we need to be at your mother’s?” Anthony asked as he stretched.
“She isn’t going to expect us until about eleven. Mom is going to want to rest and sleep in. Some of her energy is coming back. I think she thought it would return more quickly now that she’s done with treatment, but at least she’s feeling better. Give her a few weeks or a month and she’ll be a force to be reckoned with once more.” He chuckled as his phone vibrated on the nightstand. “Speak of the devil….” He answered it.
“Aren’t you up yet?” Mom asked. “Geez, are you old men? It’s Christmas. So get up and get yourselves over here. I’m starting breakfast in five minutes.”
“What is with you? Did they change your meds and put you on speed or something?”
She laughed. “Just get up and come on over.” She hung up, and Tyler closed his eyes.
“I take it that was your mom,” Anthony said. “And here I was hoping for a little Christmas-morning nookie.”
“Yeah, that was her. Apparently she’s starting breakfast and we’re summoned. But it’s okay.” He ran his hands down Anthony’s firm chest. “After dinner, we can come back here and carry on our own private celebrating well into the night.I promise.” Tyler kissed him and then bounded out of bed. “Besides, I want to see what I got for Christmas.”
“You’re like a little kid,” Anthony said with a chuckle.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Tyler countered, already pulling on his underwear. “She’s just going to call again in fifteen minutes, so we may as well get going.”
Anthony got out of bed, and Tyler couldn’t help watching him as he hurried to the bathroom. Once the door closed, he finished getting dressed and got Daisy into her Christmas collar with the cute bow. “We’re going to see Grandma.” He set her on the bed. Daisy lay down, her head on her paws, and closed her eyes, like she had no idea what all the fuss was about.
When Anthony returned, he dressed, and they all went downstairs. Tyler had planned for a gift opening between him and Anthony before going to Mom’s, but he didn’t want to hold everyone up, so he found large shopping bags and put all the gifts in them. Then he made sure Daisy was ready before they put on their coats and got into his car, bags of presents filling the trunk.
The snow from the night before was just enough to make the roads slick, so he drove slowly as Anthony texted Mom using his phone to tell her they were on their way. Once they arrived, he parked and they carried everything inside.
Mom had turned the living room into a Christmas wonderland, just like she always had when he was a kid. There was a small tree, the mantel was filled with greens, and lights twinkled on the windowsills. “When did you do all this?”
